Gil Brandt Compares Daniel Jones to Peyton Manning Ahead of 2019 NFL Draft

Gil Brandt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year for his work as a talent evaluator.

So when Brandt says a player reminds him of Peyton Manning, you perk up and listen. 

"I. Love. Dan Jones," Brandt said Saturday on a teleconference for Sirius XM Radio. "I have to say this carefully: When you watch him and you go back (20) years and watch Peyton Manning, you are watching the same guy. He's athletic. He doesn't have a rocket for an arm, but neither did Peyton. Very smart."

Jones, who was a three-year starter at Duke, does not have a remotely comparable statistical profile to Manning. Whereas Manning was considered one of the greatest quarterback prospects in history after a four-year career at Tennessee, Jones has gotten a borderline first-round grade by most talent evaluators. Manning's quarterback rating his freshman season (145.2) was better than any number Jones put up in his career. 

The comparisons in all likelihood stem from Jones playing at Duke under David Cutcliffe, who was Manning's offensive coordinator at Tennessee. He was also the head coach for Eli Manning during his time at Ole Miss. Aside from the Manning brothers, Cutcliffe's quarterback resume includes Heath Shuler, Erik Ainge and Thad Lewis.

Suffice it to say it's a mixed bag.

Jones will likely come off the board in the top half of the first round after a strong offseason. He won the MVP award at the Senior Bowl, and Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson said a team currently has Jones as the top quarterback on their board. There's an insinuation that Robinson meant the New York Giants, which could put Jones in line to replace Eli Manning.

The Giants own the Nos. 6 and 17 picks in Thursday's first round. They've been linked to quarterbacks throughout the draft process despite general manager Dave Gettleman's public praise of Manning.